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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Author Fran Stewart: Why I Write Murder {+ Giveaway}

I’m delighted today to welcome author Fran Stewart to Thoughts in Progress to talk about her latest release, A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOP, the first installment in her new ScotShop Mystery Series from Berkley.

Fran will be joining us to talk about why she writes murder and I’ll share my thoughts on this fun new series. In addition, thanks to Fran and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a print copy of A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOPto giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details on that.

Now please join me in giving a warm welcome to Fran. Welcome, Fran. Tell us why you write murder.

Years ago, I attended a dinner where people exchange cards and talk about the sort of business referrals they’d like to get. It was all very friendly. Until someone asked what sort of work I did.

“I write murder mysteries.”

She glowered at me. “Humph. You looked like a nice person.” She turned away and refused even to acknowledge my presence for the rest of the evening. Now, why is it dangerous to ignore a mystery writer?

Well, we immediately wonder about your hidden agenda—possibly you’ll end up as an innocent bystander in our next book, but more likely as victim. Or murderer. I’ve held this particular woman in reserve so far, but someone who looks like her experiences a rather sorry fate in one of my upcoming mysteries.

I should have answered better, though, telling her that the mysteries I write don’t dwell on blood and gore. The bad guys lose; the good guys win, although I admit to putting my characters through some difficult situations before they triumph.You see, I deal with specific social issues in each of my books. In the Biscuit McKee series, my characters grapple with bipolar disorder, suicide, and/or the long-term effects of childhood abuse. In my new ScotShop mysteries, a 14th-century ghost has to learn to deal with the intricacies of today, and his questions about so many things we take for granted will, I hope, help us understand where we are and how we got to this point, to question some of the attitudes we take so for granted.

I should have stressed the importance of community in cozy mysteries. Seldom will you find a “loner” protagonist. No, our characters have friends and family—just like the authors who write them and the people who read them. I try to show the role of community in supporting the victims of crime, although sometimes that support is less than effective. Just think: What will you do if your neighbor is murdered, a friend slugs someone or is shot in the abdomen, or your entire community loses power during an ice storm?

Will your response be “cozy”?

Fran, thanks for visiting with us and sharing why you write murder. I enjoy the fact that your books deal with specific social issues. It adds another touch of realism to them.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Fran, here’s a little background on her.

Hamelin, Vermont, isn’t the most likely place for bagpipes and tartan, but at Peggy Winn’s ScotShop, business is booming… While on a transatlantic hunt for some authentic wares to sell at her shop, Peggy is looking to forget her troubles by digging through the hidden treasures of the Scottish Highlands. With so many enchanting items on sale, Peggy can’t resist buying a beautiful old tartan shawl. But once she wraps it around her shoulders, she discovers that her purchase comes with a hidden fee: the specter of a fourteenth-century Scotsman. Unsure if her Highland fling was real or a product of an overactive imagination, Peggy returns home to Vermont—only to find the dead body of her ex-boyfriend on the floor of her shop. When the police chief arrests Peggy’s cousin based on some incriminating evidence, Peggy decides to ask her haunting Scottish companion to help figure out who really committed the crime—before anyone else gets kilt…

Now my thoughts on this entertaining new cozy…….

Author Fran Stewart blends a number of intriguing elements together and adds in a dose of fascinating characters for a well-rounded new cozy murder mystery series.

The Scotland setting is magical in itself, but the author enhances the story by having the ghost of a fourteenth-century Scotsman travel to Vermont. Add in a cheating boyfriend that turns up dead, a hunky police officer and numerous friends and family for an all-out entertaining story.

The story flows at a steady pace with only a few minor slow points. The suspense will hold your attention and keep you guessing as the mystery unfolds.

A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOP is an entertaining beginning of what promises to be a delightful new series. Those with Scottish heritage will find the series charming.

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:This giveaway is for one print copy of A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOP. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end at 12 a.m. on Friday, March 20.

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Fran Stewart’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so very much for stopping by during Fran’s visit. What would you say if someone told you they wrote murder mysteries? Any thoughts on having a Scottish ghost hanging around you? Isn’t the cover of this book so intriguing?

A Wee Murder sounds fascinating. I am sure that whoever is lucky enough to win it will love it.Rescued cats? An interest in community and social issues? Snap.Writing talent, and a commitment to the hard work? Sadly no.I would be fascinated if someone told me that wrote mysteries. I suspect that rude woman would make a perfect greedy, self-centred murderer...

Thank you, Alex. You're right - Dirk is shocked indeed, although he's also fascinated by some of the changes. As I first thought about writing Dirk, I had to wonder if, deep down, people are still just the same. The technology has changed, but love and hate, greed, jealousy, kindness, apathy, wonder ... they're all still here, the way they must have been in Dirk's time.

Thank you, Margot. Truth is, I'm not a vindictive creature - I just find food for creative fodder in lots of places! Frequently I allow organizations (friend of the library, pet rescue groups and such) to raise money by selling chances to "be a character in Fran's next mystery." It's funny how often the winners have said they'd like to be the murderer!

I think you hit the nail on the head describing cozies, there's definitely a sense of community in them. My father was Scottish so this is an intriguing story for me wrapped in a cozy mystery. Love the cover too.Ann

How true, Ann. That sense of community is so important. In both my mystery series (Biscuit McKee and ScotShop) I've stressed the value of community. But there's also a community of cozy-readers. I love the way cozy fans share their enthusiasm for favorite books and series.

Good, Wendy! My agent kept after me to find a title that 1) let people know it was a cozy, 2) had a Scottish flavor, and 3) had a pattern that would work for an entire series of titles. He said no to about a dozen suggestions before I came up with this one (and 25 more to follow!)

That dinner party guest must have been a frustrated novelist. That's the only reason I can think that she'd turn her back on you for the evening. I hope you did stick your tongue out at her. I would have added the raspberry. Love the title of your story and I'd enjoy winning a copy!

Any tongue-sticking-out I do is strictly inside my brain. Ditto the raspberries! "Frustrated" for sure describes her. I feel kind of sorry for her. I wonder how many other people she's missed a chance to talk with...

I don't think that I would want to irritate a mystery writer, you could find yourself splattered through many pages and possibly many books in a variety of ways, LOL. This sounds like a great read, I have added it to my tbr list. Thanks for the chance to win.

Glad you enjoyed it, Traveler. I'm headed out the door to a meeting, and I'm glad I saw your comment before I left. I'll be back on board in four hours or so to reply to any last-minute comments. This has been a fun blog-post day!

I think that sense of community is one reason I like to read cozies so much. And if there's a 14th century Scot that needs help acclimating to present day, so be it! Sounds like a great story, thanks for the chance to win.JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

The woman who thought it was terrible that you wrote about murder must think they are too violent. Bet she never read a mystery, not even an Agatha Christie! I would be glad to meet someone who writes murder mysteries, because that's what I mostly read. I'd ask if they wrote cozy or historical mysteries. I like ghosts in mysteries. I love cats, too. Great book cover. I have a coffee mug with Scottie dogs on it. It goes good with Scottish (or English) mysteries.

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Hi, I'm Mason Canyon and I love reading and that is why I do reviews. I post them here, as well as several other sites such as Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you are an author who would like for me to review your book or you would like to guest blog here, please contact me at mcbookshelf@gmail.com These reviews are done for the love of a good book, not for monetary rewards.